German Convention Bureau e.V. (GCB)

Company Profile

German Convention Bureau (GCB)The role of the GCB German Convention Bureau e.V. is to secure and further develop Germany's position as a leading and sustainable location for meetings and events. The organisation is perfectly placed to help anyone organising an event in Germany: the GCB represents German event organisers and markets Germany nationally and internationally as a location for meetings, incentives, congresses and events.

General InformationThe GCB offers event planners a network of expert service suppliers across the whole of Germany as well as providing them with independent advice for the choice of an event location. Approximately 200 members represent over 450 enterprises. This includes top hotels, conference centres, regional marketing organisations, event agencies as well as service suppliers operating in the German meetings and conferences sector. The strategic partners are Germany´s national railway company (Deutsche Bahn AG), the German airline Lufthansa AG and the German National Tourism Board (GNTB).

With educational trips and site visits, the GCB gives national and international event planners the opportunity to look at services in the German meetings and conferences sector. This includes customer events in important source markets as well as a presence at IMEX in Frankfurt and other important trade fairs.

Brands / Products / Services

Brochures

The GCB reports on the latest news of the German meetings industry using social media channels such as twitter and facebook. The GCB website features a newsroom with the latest press releases and the GCB blog. The monthly newsletter with a selection of the most interesting press releases can be ordered.

Newspaper “Meetings made in Germany”Both modern and compact, the "Meetings made in Germany" magazine is published three times a year and presents new developments at the GCB and in the German meetings and conference sector.

CommunicationThe GCB also reports on new developments in the German meetings sector via online channels such as their news blog, various Twitter channels, Facebook and a monthly e- newsletter. Register here and keep up-to-date: www.gcb.de/en/newsroom

Annual reportThe GCB annual report gives an overview of the GCB's activities and an outline of future activities.

Fairs and conferences

IMEX – incorporating Meetings made in Germany, the worldwide exhibition for incentive travel, meetings and events 19-21 May 2015 in Frankfurt IMEX is the world's leading trade fair for the conference, meeting, events and incentive sector. The GCB is a strategic partner of IMEX. It organises and co-ordinates the German-language seminar programme and the Germany stand with over 200 exhibitors. Further information is available at: www.imex-frankfurt.com/

Berlin Wall Tour – the once divided cityIt is the most important symbol of the Cold War and the division of Berlin and Germany. Embark on a journey back in time and learn more about the history of the Berlin Wall. You are leaving the American sector!www.convention.visitberlin.de

Lufthansa Flight Training CenterTake a seat in the simulated cockpit of a giant commercial airliner and learn how to take off, fly and land a behemoth of the skies. Also see how it feels to deal with emergencies such as a fire on board, the loss of cabin pressure or a splashdown. A great experience!www.frankfurt-tourismus.com

MICE

Germany as a country for conventions – number one in EuropeIn a European country comparison, Germany tops the list: for the tenth year in a row Germany ranks number one in Europe and second worldwide as a destination for meetings and conventions.

Good reasons for holding events in GermanyThere are a number of reasons behind Germany's leading position on the international stage for meetings and conventions. In addition to the outstanding price/performance ratio and an exemplary infrastructure, Germany has comprehensive know-how in many areas of science and the economy as well as a position at the forefront in terms of sustainability.

Germany's infrastructure: virtually unequalled in the world!The Global Competitiveness Report for 2012-2013 by the World Economic Forum (WEF) highlights Germany's outstanding position in terms of infrastructure: in a worldwide comparison Germany takes third place in the 'infrastructure quality' category. The report highlighted in particular the first-class infrastructure in all areas of transport. Approximately 40 airports, 12,850 kilometres of motorway and a rail network amounting to nearly 33,500 kilometres guarantee a simple and swift journey to Germany as well as seamless mobility within the country – which means substantial time-saving.

Social Commitment / Green Travel

Green MeetingsSustainability is a key issue in the meetings and events industry. The GCB works to reduce the use of resources and CO2 emissions in its activities and is environmentally driven, both within the organisation as well as in the German events sector. The GCB functions as a catalyst for the establishment of sustainable meetings as a standard practice. Nearly 40% of German meetings and events industry suppliers have already implemented a sustainability management system in their organisations. Anyone interested in organising a carbon-neutral event can also calculate the carbon footprint for their event on the GCB website: www.gcb.de/de/green-neu/co2-rechner

Right and fairIn order to respond to the growing interest in sustainability and responsible argumentation in the event sector, the GCB German Convention Bureau e. V. and the European Association of Event Centers (EVVC) suggested the development of a joint sustainability codex based on the results of the Green Meetings and Events Conference 2011. The aim of this agreement is to create a unifying "green umbrella" for the event sector.For more information visit: www.gcb.de/en/greenmeetings/sustainable-gcb

Miscellaneous

GCB Uses Key Industries to Market Germany as an Events DestinationAs a point of contact for events planners, the GCB German Convention Bureau e.V., is aware that a decision on the location for a meeting does not depend only on criteria such as accessibility, capacities, equipment and service, but also increasingly on whether the location is surrounded by relevant establishments – companies, associations, universities and research institutions. The advantages of such a network are obvious: it creates organisational synergies, gives participants at conventions valuable contacts and facilitates relevant programmes such as guided factory tours or visits to laboratories.

There are six areas of expertise in particular in which Germany's locations set the trend across the world and provide ideal contexts for meetings: